By Ariell Fain
STARKVILLE, Miss. – City leaders would still like to convert the disused railroad tracks that bisect Starkville into a Rails-to-Trails walking and biking trail, Mayor Lynn Spruill said. But action cannot be taken without a response from Kansas City Southern Railway Company.
Spruill said that the railroad conversion is something the city is continuing to push for. She said she recently met with U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, who is a ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, which oversees railroads. She said he is on board with the project and is hoping to exert the influence that the project needs to progress.
In 2019, Starkville’s board of aldermen asked for permission from the federal Surface Transportation Board to work with Kansas City Southern Railway Company to repurpose the railroad tracks. The repurpose would involve converting the tracks into a biking and walking trail through the organization Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.
Since the railroad tracks that run through Starkville from the southwest to the northeast are owned by Kansas City Southern Railway Company, the city of Starkville currently has no say in what can be done with them.
According to Spruill, Kansas City Southern has yet to respond to requests to release the railroad tracks. The tracks must be released from Kansas City’s ownership before the conversion can begin. However, Spruill said that Kansas City Southern has released railroad tracks in the past, so it is still possible they may release it.
Kansas City Southern is in the process of being purchased by Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. for $27.2 billion, as reported by the Associated Press. The buyout could affect the future of the Rails-to-Trails project in Starkville.
Spruill said that when the trail is established, it will provide nothing but positives to the city.
“The railroad line would turn into a beneficial asset that would be attractive for students, MSU faculty and citizens as something usable, rather than what the railroad track is right now,” Spruill said.
The success of North Mississippi’s Tanglefoot Trail gives more reason to push for the trail in Starkville.
Millette Nabors, owner of Trailhead Bed and Breakfast in Houston, Miss., has seen firsthand the success of a Rails-to-Trails project. Nabors’s bed and breakfast sits just 75 feet off the first mile marker of the Tanglefoot Trail.
Having only been open for a year, the Trailhead Bed and Breakfast averages about 40 customers a month, most of them cyclists. Nabors said the trail has brought great economic growth to the town, drawing visitors from all over.
“Early mornings, you can go out to the trail and see that there are cars from everywhere. I’ve seen tags from Columbus, Starkville, Grenada and plenty of out of state tags,” Nabors said.
The Houston community has also become more active due to the trail. Nabors said that every time she visits the trail, she sees several locals of different ages walking or biking on the trail. It has also been used as a way for locals to stay active and safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Starkville officials are not the only ones hoping for the Rails-to-Trails proposal to go through.
Many locals are on board and have been pushing for progress on the project.
Matthew Nunes, owner of Boardtown Bikes, is an advocate for Rails-to-Trails.
His business sponsors the Tanglefoot Trail and would also contribute to a trail once it is approved in Starkville.
With a vast knowledge of cycling and local trails, Nunes often gets asked about the status of the project. Nunes said at least once a week someone comes in asking if anything has changed on the proposal.
“Plenty of locals come into the shop asking what’s the update on the project,” Nunes said. “It’s no secret that the railroad is out of commission. So in turn, we turn around and ask councilmen on an update. Everyone just really wants this to happen.”